Leisure lease plan approved to go before full council

Greenwich Leisure Limited currently operate the Oasis and will now run all leisure facilities

THE leasing of Swindon’s leisure and golf facilities took a step forward last night as the cabinet recommended the proposal to go before full council.

Last week it emerged the Greenwich Leisure Limited, who currently operate the Oasis, will run all the leisure facilities while Twigmarket will take over the golf.

It is a move designed to save £1.4 million in subsidies a year as well as some of the cost of repairs. Council leaders have hailed the move as a positive step forward which will secure significant investment for the sites.

The proposal will now go before full council in July and if it is approved, the transfer could be completed by the end of the year.

The opposition have broadly welcomed the plan and said they support the leisure lease, although they oppose Croft Fields, the subject of an extraordinary council meeting next week, being included on the lease.

However, Labour have said they do not support the golf facilities being leased out as making them break even will not be hard and therefore no reason exists not to keep them in council control.

Comments (3)

Sounds like the opposition have a point - no great reason to parcel off an assett (golf) which is (allegedly) close to break even. No reason to give away Croft Fields either. The overall idea is sound but never accept a one solution fits all policy - that's lazy. It seems amazing that they let Swindon Dance occupy the Town Hall (ideal for the museum/art gallery) yet consider spending millions in the future on an alternative site - I'm not convinced they ever look up from the current crisis!

Sounds like the opposition have a point - no great reason to parcel off an assett (golf) which is (allegedly) close to break even. No reason to give away Croft Fields either. The overall idea is sound but never accept a one solution fits all policy - that's lazy. It seems amazing that they let Swindon Dance occupy the Town Hall (ideal for the museum/art gallery) yet consider spending millions in the future on an alternative site - I'm not convinced they ever look up from the current crisis!Eastern Badger

Its no good these facilities just reaching break even. If youve played The courses its obvious they have been starved of money and are in decline. If the council is to rid themselves of the burden of ongoing maintenance and replacement capex then the only way to finance this is by making a decent profit ( and not just break even) and this will come only with further investment which SBC havent got. i assume also they will be getting a decent rent...which is also a lot better than breakeven !

Its no good these facilities just reaching break even. If youve played The courses its obvious they have been starved of money and are in decline. If the council is to rid themselves of the burden of ongoing maintenance and replacement capex then the only way to finance this is by making a decent profit ( and not just break even) and this will come only with further investment which SBC havent got. i assume also they will be getting a decent rent...which is also a lot better than breakeven !Isypisy